Dump bailer



R. J. KLAASEN ETAL DUMP BAILER Oct. 23, 1951 Oct. 23, 1951 R. J. KLAASENET AL DUMP BAILER Filed April 2, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 2 f f'Zr. 2b.

Ela 2a.

00L 23, 1951 R. J. KLAASEN ET AL 2,572,493

DUMP BAILER Filed April 2, 1949 l5A Sheets-Sheet 5 QrfQQA/EKS.

Patented Oct. 23, I* 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUMP BAILER RalphJ. Klaasen, Lompoc, and Eugene M. Olsen, Avenal, Calif.

Application April 2, 1949, Serial No. 85,122

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dump bailers suitable for usein depositing cement slurries or other materials in wells.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved dumpbailer'which is so designed that the bailer can be lowered into the welland be caused to dump its load `at any desired level or depth therein.The dumping of the bailer is controlled from the surface so thatlowering or elevating of the bailer in the well will not involve adumping of the contents of the bailer.

Dump bailers have heretofore been employed which are opened to dump thecontents by means of friction springs carried by the bailer `and whichengage the walls of the casing. These friction springs are so connectedto the outlet valve from the bailer that when the bailer is elevatedwithin the well the outlet valve will be opened to dump the contents. Itfrequently occurs, however, that a vbailer is lowered into a well andfor one reason or another it is desired to lift the bailer lbeforedumping its contents. The prior constructions above referred to,however, necessarily dump the contents of the bailer immediately as soonas the bailer is lifted and consequently they cannot be elevated to adesired level in the wellif the bailer has once been lowered to a pointbelow the desired level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bailer which can belowered into the open hole and caused to dump its contents at any leveldesired.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved dumpbailer which is of relatively simple and highly durable construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figs. la, 1b and lc are sectional views of the top, middle portion andbottom, respectively, of the dump bailer embodying the present inventionillustrating the bailer in that position in which it is lowered into thewell;

Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c are similar views but illustrating the bailer inthat position after it has been opened to dump its contents;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 3-3upon Fig. la;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 4-4upon Fig. 1a;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 5-5upon Fig. 1b; and y Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantiallyupon the line 6-6 upon Fig. 1c.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the improved dump bailerconsists of a bailer generally indicated at III and made up of sectionsof pipe suitably coupled together such as by couplings or collars II.Near the bottom of the bailer there is secured a valve seat holder I2into which is screwed a valve seat I3. This holder may be mounted in thebarrel in any suitable manner such as by welds I4. A valve closure I5 isadapted to seat on the valve seat I3 to retain cement slurry or othermaterial in the barrel until such time as it is desired to dump it. Thevalve closure I5 carries a downwardly extending stem I6 on which ismounted a spider I'I. A compression spring I8 is compressed between thespider I 1 and a cap I9 which closes the bottom of the bailer except fora central aperture 20. The compression spring I8 serves to continuallyurge the valve closure I5 `into its upper or open position shown in Fig.2c. However, as a means for keeping the valve closed until such time asit is desired to dump the contents, the top of the valve I5 is equippedwith guide ribs or vanes 2| Within which there is provided a seat for abullnose 22. The bullnose 22 is secured to the bottom of a retainingelement made up of sections of tubing 23 coupled together by means ofcouplings or collars 24. Spiders 25 are slipped onto the sections oftubing 23 just prior to their assembly and may descend by gravity untilarrested by the coupling or collar A24. next below. Therev is preferablyone spider 25 fory each section 23 and these spiders serve t0 engage theinterior of the barrel I0 and prevent the retaining elem-ent made up ofthe tubing sections 23 from buckling or collapsing. The upper end of theretaining element slidably extends through a dog or latch support 26which is screwed into the top of the barrel such as by threads 21. Thisdog or latch support carries one or more pivoted dogs or latches 28which are pivotally mounted thereon as by pivots 29. The lower ends ofthese dogs or latches are urged into engagement with the retainingelement such as by compression springs 30. They have their lower endsformed or shaped complementary to teeth or shoulders 3| which are formedat the top of the retaining element. Thus when the latches are inengagement with the. teeth v or shoulders 3l, the retaining element madeup of the tubing sections 23, can be held in its lowermost positionwherein the bullnose 22 presses the valve closure I5 firmly against itsseat I3 against the action of the compression spring I8. However,whenever the dogs or latches 28 are caused to disengage the teeth orshoulders 3i, the compression spring I8 becomes immediately effective tolift the valve I5 from its seat and to lift the retaining elementsupported thereby, thus opening the valve and lallowing the contents ofthe barrel t be dumped past the open valve and through the opening 20.

As a means for providing for a fine adjustment of the retaining elementso that it will hold the valve closure I against its seat, the dog orlatch holder 26 is provided on its exterior with a series of verticalgrooves or recesses 32. These grooves may be reached through openings 33in the top of the bailer which enable the insertion cfa suitable tool toturn the latch holder in the barrel .and thus' screw it Vupwardly ordownwardly relatively to the barrel by means of the threads 2I. Thisfine adjustment will enable the retaining element to firmly Apress theclosure I5 vagainst its seat'to retain the load within `the 'bailer.

Asa means for 4causing the dogs .or latches `28 to release the retainingelement, an internally vconed or carnmem-ber -34 is slida-ble in thebarrel above ther-dog or latch holder 26. The interior -of `thisomemberis conedso that when Vit descends relatively -to the dogs or .latches 28it may engage 'the upper ends thereof and swing these dogs or latchesfrom the position shown 'in Fig. la Vinto -the position shown in Fig.2a. This releasing of the retainingr element Aallows the compressionspring I8 to become effective to open the valve. The coned or cam memberhas a plurality Aof rods 35 secured thereto which slidably extend.upwardly through the top of the barrel and which are connected to `ananvil-or striker bar 35. Compression spring-s 31 are disposed about theupper ends of these rods and urge the striker bar and the cam member 24into their uppermost positions, or into -a position illustrated in Fig.la.

. The top ofthe barrel provides a cable socket-38 adapted to receive theflared and leaded end of a cable or wire line 39 by which the barrel islowered into the well. This cable extends through the-anvil or strikerVbar 36. A tubular weight v40 is slidable on this cable or line andrisinitially `retained at the surface by means of a gate 4I which may besupported on the rotary table or any-equivalent means of support. Thisgate is illustrated as being composed of hingedly connected partsadapted to be swung into closed position about the cable and retainedtherein by means of a latch bar 42. When this gateris closed the weight4D will lbe retained thereabove although the cable or wire line 39 canbe raised or lowered therethrough. However, when the gateis opened theweight 40 may be allowed to fall by gravity on the `line v39 until itstrikes the anvil or striker .bar 36. When this bar is struck downwardlyto compress the springs 31 the coned or` cam member 34 will be caused todescend to engage the dogs or latches 28 and thus eiect a release of theretaining element which allows the valve I 5 to be opened. As a meansfor retaining the coned or cam member 34 in its lowermost position towhich it may have been forced by the descending weight 40, springactuated ball detent 43 is mounted on the coned or cam member 34. Thisball when in its lowermost position will be forced by its spring into arecess or hole 44 Yin the walls of the barrel and thus lock vhave beenlifted in the well.

the cam member 34 in its lowermost position. The cam member can bereleased for upward movement by means of the compression springs 31 byinserting an implement through the hole 44 so as to unseat the ball 43.The bailer may be filled through an inlet opening 45 normally closed bya valve 46. A hose conducting the materia1l to be lowered into the wellcan be inserted through this opening and the'bailer lled.

When the bailer has been iilled and is in the position shown in Figs.1a, 1b and 1c, it may be lowered into the well. While in the well it maybe raised or lowered without necessarily involving a dumping of thebailer. Also, if desired, the bailer can be lowered into the open hole.Whenever the bailer has reached the desired level and itis desired todump its contents, the gate `4I is opened to allow the weight 40 todescend by gravity on the line 39. On striking the anvil or striker bar3S the cam member 34 will be forced downwardly engaging the dogs 28 andcausing them to swing into the position shown in Fig. 2a. This releasesthe retaining element for upward movement and allows the compressionspring I8 to lift the valve I5 and the Vretaining element. The bottomofY the bailer is thus opened and its contents dumped after which thebailer can be recovered from the well by means of the line 39.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that theimproved bailer is so designed that its operation can be completelycontrolled at al1 times from the surface. The bailer will not and cannot`.be 4dumped until such time as the weight 4I] is released and this maytake place either before or after the bailer may The fact that theimproved dump bailer 'does vnot `employ friction springs enables thebailer to be advantageously used in the open hole whenever it is desiredto deposit .or dump chemicals of various types therein.

Various changes may .be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scopeof the invention asdefined by theappended claims.

We claim:

l. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to be lowered into a wellon a line, a valve seat adjacent the bottom of the barrel, a valveadapted to seat thereon, spring `means urging the valve into openposition, a Aretaining element in the barrel engageable with the valveto hold the valve in closed position, said retaining element havingteeth thereon, one ormore dogs mounted for vertical adjustment in thebody engageable with the teeth to .hold the retaining element in valveclosing position, a weight adapted to be dropped on the line, and meansarranged to be struck by the weight for causing the dogs to disengagethe retaining element and Athus allow the valve to open and dump thecontents of the bailer.

2. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to be lowered into a wellon a line, fa valve seat adjacent the bottom of the barrel, a valveadapted to seat thereon, spring means urging the valve into openposition, a retaining element in the .barrel engageable with the `valveto hold the valve in closed position, -said retaining element havingteeth thereon, a dog holder screwed into the barrel and accessible fromthe exterior thereof so as to be capable of being rotated to verticallyadjust the dog holder, one or more dogs mounted on the dog holderengageable with the teeth on the retaining element, a-cam verticallymovable in the barrel engageable with the dogs to cause the dogs todisengage the retaining element, a striker bar at the top of the barrelconnected to the cam, and a weight adapted to be dropped on the line tostrike the striker bar and thus effect a release of the retainingelement to allow the valve to open.

3. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to be lowered into a Wellon a line, a valve seat adjacent the bottom of the barrel, a valveadapted to seat thereon, spring means urging the valve into openposition, a retaining element in the barrel engageable with the valve tohold the valve in closed position, said retaining element having Iteeththereon, a dog holder screwed into the barrel and accessible from theexterior thereof so as to be capable of being rotated to Verticallyadjust the dog holder, one or more dogs mounted on the dog holderengageable with the teeth on the retaining element, a cam verticallymovable in the barrel engageable with the dogs to cause the dogs todisengage the retaining ele- REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,715,504 Johnston et al June 4,1929 2,099,080 Rusler Nov. 16, 1937 2,154,308 Henderson Apr. 11, 19392,322,425 Dempsey June 22, 1943 2,453,068 Haynes 1 Nov. 2, 19482,467,835 Lee Apr. 19, 1949

